Market
LHD vs RHD: which Chinese vehicles fit your market
Steering configuration decides whether a model can be sold at all. What is available from Chinese production and what needs a special order.
2026-09-05 · 5 min read
Most vehicles sold in mainland China are left-hand drive. That makes LHD markets in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Latin America the natural first destination for Chinese production.
Right-hand-drive markets — Kenya, Tanzania, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and others — require either a factory RHD programme or a conversion. Factory RHD is preferable where it exists: the conversion route changes wiring, steering rack and dashboard, and local homologation may reject it.
Before shortlisting any model, confirm the steering configuration in writing on the proforma invoice. Availability changes by model year and by plant.
Need this applied to your order?
Send the model and destination port — the desk will return a cost breakdown for your route.
